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robinwalter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A difficult read, but worthwhile. There was no sentimentality about "home", no optimism for the future, just a remarkably dispassionate and clear-eyed observational discourse. I learned a great deal, including the somewhat surprising fact that I got the distinct impression the author is not a particularly likeable person. I am glad I read it and even more glad to have finished it and be able to move back to lighter, brighter reading.
bigpaw's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Beautiful and informative and disheartening. This book is not optimistic about the future, but it taught me a lot about an area of the world that I know virtually nothing about. The book winds through timelines like the river, shifting back and forth from 1800s to 1980s to present day. The nature of these jumps between eras made it somewhat difficult to track details about the development of Sudan from the 1800s to present. Despite this, the book painted an overall picture of the region.
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